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No, I’m not being sarcastic.
If anything, I’m being charitable.
Let’s go through the evidence, comparing and contrasting the two men. The similarities are striking, but also the differences.
Shall we?
Drugs:
George H. W. Bush, Sr. supported the War on Drugs.
Barack H. Obama supports the War on Drugs.
War:
Bush:
Had a neocon asshole for Defense Secretary. Check.
Obama:
Has a neocon asshole for Defense Secretary. Check.
Bush:
Engaged in 3 military conflicts (Panama, Iraq, Somalia)
Obama:
Engaged in at least 6 military conflicts (Iraq, Libya, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen, Somalia, etc.)
SCOTUS:
Bush:
Nominated one liberal to the SCOTUS. Check.
Obama:
Nominated one “liberal” to the SCOTUS. Check.
Economic Policy:
Bush:
1992 growth plan: deregulate & cut taxes
Obama:
2012 growth plan: deregulate & cut taxes
Bush:
Entered Presidency with huge budget deficits as a result of his GOP predecessor’s policies.
Obama:
Entered Presidency with huge budget deficits as a result of his GOP predecessor’s policies.
Bush:
Entered Presidency amidst a banking & housing crisis that blew up during his predessor’s term. Check.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savings_and_loan_crisis
Obama:
Entered Presidency amidst a banking & housing crisis that blew up during his predessor’s term. Check.
http://money.cnn.com/2008/09/15/news/economy/subprime_timeline/
Bush:
In the wake of the financial fraud, he signed the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989 (FIRREA).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Financial_Institutions_Reform,_Recovery_and_Enforcement_Act_of_1989
FIRREA was used to shut down failed banks, and set up new regulations to prevent fraud.
Congressmen who were complicit with colluding with bankers (The Keating 5) were publicly investigated and reprimanded.
William K. Black became a well known criminologist during this period.
Obama:
In the wake of the financial fraud, he implemented the Public-Private Investment Program for Legacy Assets (PPIP aka TARP 2.0) and signed The Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform Act.
PPIP was used to prop up failed banks, and transfer losses to the taxpayer. Dodd-Frank set up new regulations and loopholes to commit fraud.
Regulators who were complicit with colluding with bankers (Geithner, Summers, Bernanke, et al) were publicly promoted and enacted “stress tests” to further disguise banking issues.
Elizabeth Warren became a well known Dem shill & mascot during this period.
Bush:
In the 1991 recession, Bush reversed some of the Reagan tax cuts, & raised taxes disproportionately on the wealthy. These tax hikes were made after making a famous campaign pledge not to. The payroll tax rate increased. Many government programs, such as welfare, increased.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omnibus_Budget_Reconciliation_Act_of_1990
Democrats had a majority in both houses of Congress, but the liberal point of view held sway.
Obama:
In the 2007 recession, Obama continued all of the Bush tax cuts, & cut taxes by a trivial amount for low and middle class workers. These tax cut extentions were made after making a famous campaign pledge not to. The payroll tax rate decreased. Many government programs, such as UI benefits, decreased.
Democrats had a majority in both houses of Congress, but the neoliberal point of view held sway.
Free trade:
Bush supported NAFTA.
Obama criticized NAFTA as a candidate, but doubled US exports via deals with Panama, Colombia, & S.Korea as president.
Whistleblowers:
Bush:
Signed the Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989
Had Bradley Manning detained and declared him guilty without due process, or even charging him with a crime. Don’t get me started on NDAA.
Civil Rights:
Bush:
Signed the Americans with Disabilities Act. The last wide-ranging piece of civil rights legislation since LBJ.
Obama:
He, *ahem*, “evolved.”
Or something.
Bush:
Nominated Vaughn Walker to the Federal Bench, who would later be revealed to be the earliest known gay federal judge. He is known for striking down California Proposition 8, a voter initiative constitutional amendment that eliminated the right of same sex couples to marry.
Obama:
Um…. still evolving!
Immigration
Bush:
Bush signed the Immigration Act of 1990, which increased legal immigration to the United States by 40 percent. The modifications also removed homosexuality as a grounds for exclusion from immigration.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigration_Act_of_1990
Obama:
Obama administration reports record number of deportations for 3 straight years.
(But he’s evolving!)
Healthcare
Bush:
Let people buy into Medicaid; no mandated insurance.
http://www.ontheissues.org/Celeb/George_Bush_Sr__Health_Care.htm
Obama:
Do not let people buy into Medicare; yaaaaay mandates!
http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2009/05/obama_on_why_he_is_not_for_sin.html
Bipartisanship/Obstruction
Bush:
Presided with the opposite party in charge of Congress? Check.
Obama:
Presided with the opposite party in charge of Congress? Half-check.
Congress didn’t start out in the GOP’s favor. But 2010? Woo-boy. (Gee, I wonder why?)
Highest Recorded Approval rating in office:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_approval_rating#Historical_comparison
Bush: 89%
Obama: 69%
You know, when I first started writing this, I thought there was only one difference between the two.
By the time I finished, I realized I was a little wrong; they’re about the same, though one is slightly more progressive (and more popular) than the other.
Some would say Bush Sr. is practically a pinko commie socialist fascist gay lover.
So thus, the choice is obvious this fall for all liberals in the country:
BUSH/QUAYLE 2012, BABY!!
11 Comments
Under Bush, according to Bill Black close to 2,000 banksters were frog marched. Under Obama, self declared God’s own little helpers, who destroyed the entire American and global economy, were declared “savvy businessmen,” leaving Bill Black bewildered…
The public’s response, other than the original t’partiers own indignant one (while the left distractedly took the rigged insurance and financial industry bailout bait, err, PPACA)….meh.
Bush raised taxes all right — on us. Not on the rich, who his predecessor Reagan gave the mother of all tax breaks by slashing the top tax by two-thirds. This sent us into Grover-Norquist-approved deficit land and caused Reagan himself to later raise taxes — on the non-rich.
Bush’s high approval rate occurred right after the quickie invasion of Iraq, which was kept short and did not end with Saddam’s overthrow because Bush and the neocons still wanted him around to keep the Iranians at bay. It was only after Iranian agent Ahmad Chalabi worked his way into PNAC’s good graces that PNAC’s leadership started talking about toppling Saddam Hussein.
Bush’s approval rate, borne of both circle-the-wagons mentality and of the temporary euphoria a successful and short war sometimes brings, didn’t last very long. In less than a year’s time he was below 50% and by the time the 1992 election rolled around he was still hovering around that mark.
More on this here: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/behind-the-numbers/2007/07/approval_highs_and_lows.html
The BIG difference, jest … and Phoenix Woman, is that George Bush, the elder, is NOT running for the office of President of the United States of America… and can do us NO FURTHER DAMAGE … from THAT “position”.
The same is NOT true of Barack Obama …
Nonetheless, I recommend, to the attention of those at the lake, this diary for the thoughts and comparisons which it will … provoke.
DW
“…between HIM and Bush…”
You know, I wrote it that way at first, but the grammatical contrarian in me changed it at the last minute.
Thank you, oh great grammatical wonder!
Thanks for reading!
Yes, I’ve never seen the comparison between Bush Sr. made, but after I thought about it there are some interesting parallels.
Especially the divergent ways they handled financial scandals. Bush Sr. actually did a reasonable job in that respect.
You’re right, he raised taxes on everyone. But there were specific luxury taxes that increased dramatically. Needless to say, I don’t think the luxury taxes were his idea; Dems probably shoved it down his throat. But the point is, he did not veto the bill. Also keep in mind that the capital gains tax was almost double under Bush Sr. than what it currently is now under Obama, and he coined “voodoo economics.”
Correct on the approval numbers. Though it is surprising given that Obama is also a war time president, and never got the war time boost. You’d think he’d at least crack 70% after assassinating bin Laden, who was a far bigger boogieman than Hussein at the time.
I’d rather have Bush the Elder than Obama as president right now. He at least had the insight to refer to the Reagan neocons as “the crazies in the basement.”
Bush was a Republican, he did what Republicans are supposed to do. Barack Obama is a Democrat, and yet, he has done what Republicans are supposed to do.